CANBERRA, 23 December, 2020, (TON): Australia’s trade surplus for goods fell to a two-year low in November hit by a slump in exports to top trading partner China, which imposed a number of restrictions in an escalating trade dispute.

Preliminary data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday showed goods trade surplus slipped to A$1.9 billion ($1.43 billion) in November from A$4.7 billion in October.

This is the first time since November 2018 that the goods trade surplus has dropped below the A$2 billion mark.

The drop was led by a A$1.2 billion, or 10%, decrease in exports to China combined with an A$889 million, or 11%, increase in imports from the Asian heavyweight, the ABS said.

China has put a stop on Australian coal while imposing hefty tariffs on a range of farm products including barley, beef, lobsters and wine, angered by Australia’s calls for a global inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus

Preliminary trade data does not include services. The ABS will release the final trade estimate for November on 7 January.

Tensions between China Australia have risen dramatically as China continues to impose trade restrictions on Australian-sourced imports. Some of the major restrictions include an 80% tariff on Australian barley exports, which was then followed by a ban on Australia’s biggest grain exporter, and the suspension of beef imports from five major meat-processing plants.

ADDIS ABABA, 23 December, 2020, (TON): The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, together with 30 humanitarian partners, on Tuesday appealed for 156 million U.S. dollars to meet "the critical humanitarian needs" of Ethiopian refugees fleeing the Tigray conflict through the first half of 2021.

This appeal is also expected to strengthen the preparedness to receive refugees in other countries in the region in case of further refugee movements, said a statement from the UN refugee agency, quoting its spokesperson Andrej Mahecic at a Tuesday press briefing in Geneva.

More than 52,000 refugees have fled Tigray into eastern Sudan over the past six weeks. Despite the number of new arrivals dropping more recently to some 500 a day, aid agencies are dealing with a full-scale humanitarian emergency in a very remote area that has not seen such a large refugee influx in decades, according to the UN refugee agency.

The regional refugee preparedness and response plan covered the period from November 2020, when the situation in Tigray escalated after months of growing political tensions, through to June 2021, and aimed to reach up to 115,000 refugees and 22,000 people from host communities.

It further includes support for the governments of Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea in maintaining and facilitating access to asylum and providing life-saving assistance to those who have been forced to flee.

Weeks of fights in northern Ethiopia's Tigray regional state between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Defense Forces have reportedly left hundreds of people dead, thousands displaced, and millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

WASHINGTON, 23 December, 2020, (TON): The United States on Tuesday announced more than a dozen of sanctions against Syrian individuals and entities to further pressure the Syrian government.

The Treasury Department added seven individuals, nine business entities, and the Central Bank of Syria to its blacklist. Among them, four are immediate family members of Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had been designated earlier this year. The commander of Syria's Military Intelligence and a senior official of the Syrian Presidency were also targeted.

The Treasury said that all property and interests of the property of the designated entities and the individuals in the US have been blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

In addition, non-U.S. persons that engage in certain transactions with them may be exposed to sanctions.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has said that the US is practicing "economic terrorism" against Syria.

President Assad said last month that the sanctions of the US and its allies on Syria are hindering the Syrian government's efforts to rehabilitate the infrastructure in areas destroyed by the more than nine-year-long war.

Diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States are currently non-existent; they were suspended in 2012 after the onset of the Syrian Civil War. Priority issues between the two states include the Arab–Israeli conflict, the Golan Heights annexation, and the Iraq War.

NEW YORK, 23 December, 2020, (TON): UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo on Tuesday called for efforts to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.

"The Iranian nuclear issue is an important non-proliferation subject, with consequences for regional and global peace and security. In achieving the JCPOA, the concerned countries had shown that their dialogue and diplomacy, supported by a united Security Council, could forge a path to resolving this issue. We hope that these countries and the council can do so again," said DiCarlo, using the initials of the official name of the Iran nuclear deal.

UN non-proliferation efforts seek to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. These efforts have a bearing on the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflict at both regional and international levels. Full implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the deal, can contribute to regional stability, she told the Security Council in a briefing.

Regrettably, however, regional tensions have increased. The last several years witnessed attacks on critical infrastructure, heated rhetoric and the heightened risk of miscalculation, she said.

"Such actions deepen the differences related to the plan and render efforts to address other regional conflicts more difficult. We call on all concerned to avoid any actions that may result in further escalation of tensions."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently underscored the importance of the JCPOA and has encouraged all states to support it. He also believes that Iran should address concerns raised about its activities in relation to the restrictive measures, she noted. "As we have stated before, issues not directly related to the plan should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments."

The United Nations regrets the steps taken by the US since May 2018 when it withdrew from the deal, as well as the steps taken by Iran since July 2019 to reduce some of its nuclear-related commitments under the deal, said DiCarlo.

The re-imposition by the United States of all its unilateral sanctions that had been lifted or waived pursuant to the deal is contrary to the goals set out in the deal and in Resolution 2231, she said.

Iran has stated its intention to remain in the JCPOA, and that the steps it has taken are reversible, said DiCarlo.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on all participants of the Iran nuclear deal to work constructively to address their differences within the dispute resolution mechanism outlined in the deal, she said.

DiCarlo noted the dispute between the US and the majority of Security Council members over the so-called snapback of sanctions against Iran.

While the US insists that international sanctions against Iran prior to the JCPOA have been reinstated, the majority of Security Council members and Iran have made their positions clear that the US was not in a position to initiate the snapback mechanism as provided for in Resolution 2231 since the US was no longer a participant of the deal by the time it was trying to do so in August 2020.

MOSCOW, 23 December, 2020, (TON): Russia said it would impose entry bans on representatives of EU countries and institutions in response to EU sanctions placed on Russian officials over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced the blacklist on its website on Tuesday, December 22.

The Russian side, acting on the basis of reciprocity, has decided to expand the list of representatives of EU Member States and institutions who will be denied entry to the Russian Federation. Among them are those who are responsible for promoting anti-Russian sanctions initiatives within the framework of the European Union,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the EU Council’s “hasty and secretive” adoption of “illegitimate restrictive measures” ran counter to international law and that “unfriendly action by Western countries” had to be “met with an adequate response.”

In response to Navalny’s poisoning, the EU decided in October to impose travel bans and freeze the assets of six senior Russian officials, among them the head of the Federal Security Service, two deputy ministers of defense, and former Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko.

The EU sanctions were initiated by France and Germany. A laboratory in Sweden was responsible for independently verifying the conclusions of the German military specialists, who confirmed that Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok-type nerve agent.

DHAKA, 22 December, 2020, (TON): A Bangladeshi woman has been killed after Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire to prevent an illegal immigration attempt along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s Nadia district, a statement issued by the paramilitary force on Tuesday said.

BSF personnel got injured during an anti-infiltration operation along the border. According to the statement the BSF troops fired two rounds at the miscreants in self-defence.

Reportedly, the clash took place when the BSF personnel noticed that 3-4 people were trying to infiltrate into India from Bangladesh near Pakhuria border outpost on Monday.

“Some miscreants engaged the BSF troops from the western side of the village and 8-10 people came close to the border fence and started exfiltration to Bangladesh. The BSF personnel challenged them and the miscreants on both sides of the border attacked the jawans with sharp weapons and pelted them with stones,” it said.

After the miscreants fled the spot, a woman was found to have been hit by a bullet near the fence. One BSF jawan also sustained injuries on his forehead during the stone-pelting, it said.

The injured woman, identified as a Bangladeshi, was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital and later to another medical establishment, where doctors declared her dead, the statement said.

The paramilitary force has lodged an FIR further investigation.

Many Indian groups are linked with illegal immigration from Bangladesh to India. Hundreds of Bangladeshi women’s are kidnaped and smuggled to India but infiltration is also easy in these areas because of the irregular nature of border.

BEIJING, 22 December, 2020, (TON): China will take countermeasures against those responsible for hurting the Chinese side, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, in response to additional U.S. visa bans on Chinese officials.

The U.S. has used visas as a weapon against China, this has severely interfered in China’s internal affairs, the ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press briefing.

The U.S. on Monday imposed additional visa restrictions on some Chinese officials over alleged human rights issues, according to a statement by the U.S. State Department.

The U.S. move came less than one month after it announced new visa rules that limit the duration of travel visas for members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and their immediate families.

China-US ties have grown increasingly antagonistic over the past year as the world’s top two economies sparred over Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong and rising tensions in the South China Sea. Diplomatic ties between US and China hit a low point.

ISLAMABAD, 22 December, 2020, (TON): Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leadership was told that Pakistan would not recognise Israel till the resolution of the Palestine issue. Stressing that Islamabad would not tolerate any pressure in this regard.

Talking to journalists in Multan Qureshi said “I categorically presented Pakistan’s stance on Israel to the UAE’s foreign minister that we will not and cannot establish a relationship with Israel until a concrete and permanent solution to the Palestine issue is found.”

“I briefed them on our Israel-Palestine policy,” he added.

“Neither will we tolerate any pressure regarding Israel, nor we are under any compulsion,” the minister told reporters. “There is resemblance in issues of Kashmir and Palestine,” he said, adding that Pakistan wanted solution of both issues as per wishes of the local people.

Qureshi’s statement came days after his visit to the UAE, which was seen by many as crucial amid rumours that Islamabad had secretly sent a messenger to Israel.

Qureshi remarked that his recent visit to UAE was aimed at discussing and deepening the bilateral relationship.

Islamabad denied the reports, which appeared mainly in the Israeli media.

"we have to make decisions keeping in mind Pakistan's interests and not due to any pressure. We have a policy and we are still steadfast on it," he added.

Qureshi also said he wanted to clarify that neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia had any intention of making "India a replacement for Pakistan", adding that it was India's "misunderstanding" if it wished to make efforts towards that end.

Diplomatic ties seems to remain unestablished between Pakistan and Israel due to Pakistan's refusal to officially recognize Israel until a viable two-state solution is reached in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

NEW DELHI, 22 December 2020, (TON): As the farmers' protest enters the 27th day against Central farm laws, Congress on Tuesday attacked the Union government for creating artificial scarcity and blocking roads which are not being done by the agitating farmers.

Meanwhile, the traffic on route New Delhi to Ghazipur and Ghaziabad on New Delhi-Meerut Expressway has been closed due to heavy traffic. Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Saboli and Mangesh borders are also closed. The motorists have been advised to take alternate routes via Lampur, Safiabad, Palla and Singhu school toll tax border.

Showing his concern on traffic jam, Senior Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi has blamed Punjab Police and Intelligence Bureau for creating situation similar to Shaheen Bagh. He said, “just like Shaheen Bagh, the police have chosen to block roads to demonise the farmers.”

Manu Singhvi said, "There is something common between Shaheen Bagh and farmers' protest. Even when the protesters aren't present, a particular road is closed. Don't see any need to close the Chilla border. Is it to create an artificial scarcity to demonize the protesters,"

NEW DELHI, 22 December, 2020, (TON): Toxic air killed more people in India in 2019 than in 2017, The Lancet said in a report shared by the government on Tuesday, with 1.67 million deaths accounting for 18% of all fatalities.

India, whose cities top global pollution lists, faces a growing economic as well as human toll from bad air quality, which was linked to 1.24 million, or 12.5% of total deaths in the previous such study for 2017.

The analysis found pollution led to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, neonatal disorders and cataracts.

Land-locked New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital whose winter skies are often obscured (here) by its filthy air, recorded the highest per-capita economic hit, the journal said.

The fatalities in 2019 led to a total loss of $36.8 billion, or 1.36% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP), with the poor and populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar experiencing the highest economic loss as a percentage of their GDP.

Although the death rate due to household air pollution fell 64.2% from 1990 to 2019, that due to ambient particulate matter pollution more than doubled, The Lancet said.

“The improvements in air quality across India during the COVID-19 lockdown period, and its upsurge again with the easing of restrictions, provide interesting pointers to the extent of air pollution reduction that is possible with reduced human activity,” it added.

The government said in a statement that India would need to invest more in state-specific pollution control programmes if it were to meet its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2024, from around $2.9 trillion now.

India’s three main cities, New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, were on the list of the world’s 20 worst polluted cities, Swiss air quality Technology Company IQAir reported on Tuesday.

This report comes at a time when COVID has claimed many lives in India. And evidence suggests that people with heart and lung conditions are vulnerable to a more severe form of COVID-19.